Cypriot sailor Pavlos Kontides became European Champion for the third time in his career on Friday, winning the European Sailing Championship in Croatia.

The race took place in Kastela, 7km from Split airport, where Kontides trains.

Kontides said after the event that he manages to climb to the top every four years, the previous times being in 2018 at La Rochelle and in 2022 at Hyeres.

The two-time Olympic silver medallist said he was very happy to have won the gold medal, especially since he had been struggling to recover from an injury.

On Friday, two final races were held, with Kontides finishing the first in fifth position and the second in 14th, the latter not counting towards his points.

With a total of 39 points, Kontides remained in first place, one point ahead of Germany’s Philipp Buhl with 40 points.